Projecting the NCHSAA boys soccer playoffs

In years past, this was too early for playoff projections. That’s not the case this year, the first in which MaxPreps.com’s computer rankings will play a major role in seeding the boys soccer playoffs.

Each conference gets a certain amount of automatic bids, based on the number of teams (1-4 teams = one bid; 5-8 teams = two bids; 9 or more = three bids). MaxPreps ranking is how the conference champions will be seeded, as well as the conference runner-ups and the third-place teams. A second-place team cannot be seeded higher than a 1-seed, a third-place team can’t be seeded higher than a runner-up and a wild-card can’t be seeded ahead of anything but other wild-cards.

Wild-card selections are done entirely based on MaxPreps ranking. If you’re a 4A or 1A bubble team, it’ll be important to stay about No. 48; if you’re in 2A or 3A, the number is No. 64 (though automatic bids could go to teams ranked lower, which would move the wild-card cutoff higher).

The brackets are divided into East and West based on geography. In the 48-team brackets of 4A and 1A, the top eight seeds in each bracket get a first-round bye.

The MaxPreps rankings are updated each Tuesday and Friday. This link will be updated on Tuesdays throughout the season right up until the field is announced on Oct. 30.

We’ll use MaxPreps rankings to project conference champions, runner-ups and, when necessary, third-place teams. This is an if-the-season-ended-today projection.

Last update: Last update: Wednesday, Oct. 11 4:15 p.m.

*-earning the overall seed in a split conference

**-earning an automatic bid, but will be seeded as a wild-card, not a 2-seed